U.S. patent application number 09/902307 was filed with the patent office on 2002-04-25 for scent delivery system.
Invention is credited to Wohrle, Gregory D..
Application Number | 20020048530 09/902307 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 26911667 |
Filed Date | 2002-04-25 |
United States Patent
Application |
20020048530 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Wohrle, Gregory D. |
April 25, 2002 |
Scent delivery system
Abstract
An elcetronic scent-delivery system (10) provided having one or
more cartridges (100) filled with scented oil and maintained within
pockets (53) of a tray (50) slidable within a tray support member (
40) of a housing (20, 30, 60). Heating elements (76) are provided
for indirectly heating the scented oil to an evaporative state, and
actuating means (92) are provided for engaging the cartridges to
enable the scented evaporate to escape the cartridges. A blowing
means (86) provides an airflow over the tops of the cartridges,
thereby directing the scented evaporate out of the housing through
vents (65) in the housing faceplate (60) and into the surrounding
environment.
Inventors: |
Wohrle, Gregory D.;
(Hollywood, FL) |
Correspondence
Address: |
GOLD & RIZVI, P.A.
Suite 450
600 N. Pine Island Road
Plantation
FL
33324
US
|
Family ID: |
26911667 |
Appl. No.: |
09/902307 |
Filed: |
July 10, 2001 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
60217161 |
Jul 10, 2000 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
422/22 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A61L 9/035 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
422/22 |
International
Class: |
A61L 002/00 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. An electronic scent delivery system, comprising: a housing
including an upper housing portion, a lower housing portion and a
front housing panel, said front housing panel having integral
vents; a cartridge containing a volume of scented oil, said
cartridge having means for releasing said scented oil therefrom in
a gaseous state; a tray slidably supported within said housing and
having an integral pocket sized and shaped for snugly receiving
said cartridge; a heating means; a thermally conductive plate
member interposed between a lower surface of said
cartridge-receiving pocket and said heating means; a blowing means
attached to a rear wall of said upper housing portion and
positioned for directing a flow of air toward the integral vents in
said front housing panel; and, electronic means for powering and
controlling said blowing means and said heating means.
Description
Cross-References to Related Applications
[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional
Patent Application Serial No. 60/217,161 filed on Jul. 10,
2000.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] The present invention relates generally to scent diffusing
devices, and more particularly to a personal electronic scent
diffusing system.
[0004] 2. Description of the Prior Art
[0005] It is well known to use deodorizers, air fresheners and the
like, to provide a desired scent or aroma in a home environment. In
fact, many people place air fresheners in a room to cover up odors
in the room or just to add a fragrant scent to the air. Many air
fresheners are commercially available. However, most of these
provide for only a single scent having a fixed strength.
[0006] Some air fresheners which allow a user to selectively alter
the scent delivered by a device have been described. For example,
U.S. Pat. No. 5,695,692 to Kennedy and U.S. Pat. No. 5,178,327 to
Palamand disclose air freshening units including a container which
carries a cartridge having a plurality of segments, or sections,
each having a solid material impregnated with a scented substance.
In each case, the cartridge can be manually rotated to position a
particular segment having a desired scent into alignment with an
opening in the container to emit the desired scent.
[0007] U.S. Pat. No. 2,103,609 to Bradburn discloses an air
freshener having a body which carries a plurality of open topped
vials of scented substances. A cover is rotatably mounted on the
body to seal and close the vials. The cover has an opening which
can be selectively brought into alignment with any one of the vials
to open the vial, to allow the substance within the vial to
evaporate and freshen the air.
[0008] The aforementioned air fresheners share a number of
disadvantages and limitations. First, each of the disclosed air
fresheners must be manually manipulated to alter the scent. Second,
none of the disclosed air fresheners provide a means for
controlling the strength or duration of the scent. Third, the
disclosed air fresheners are provided in containers which would be
unsightly positioned in a high-end home entertainment unit.
[0009] Electronic aroma generating devices and systems have been
described which provide for more controlled scent emission. For
example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,591,409 to Watkins discloses an apparatus
for introducing precisely controlled amounts of aromatic chemicals,
using metered spray technology, into the immediate vicinity of the
operator. The disclosed mechanism is particularly oriented toward
use by an individual sitting at a desk using a microcomputer.
Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 5,724,256 to Lee et al. discloses a
computer controlled odor mixing and dispensing system suitable for
use in conjunction with a multimedia computer application. Neither
of these systems are designed for, nor suitable for, providing an
aroma to a larger area such as one or more rooms of a home.
[0010] U.S. Pat. No. 4,603,030 to McCarthy, U.S. Pat. No. 5,832,320
to Wittek, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,972,290 to De Sousa each describe
scent emitting systems designed to provide a variety of different
scents to intensify sensorial perception of an audience in
attendance of a visual and/or acoustical representation, by
introducing scents in synchronism with the visual and/or acoustic
representation. However, the aforementioned systems are complex,
expensive and adapted for emitting scents over a large area such as
a movie theater.
[0011] Accordingly, there is an existing need for an electronic
scent emitting system particularly suited for use in a home
environment which overcomes the aforementioned disadvantages and
limitations of the prior art systems.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0012] FIG. 1 is perspective veiw of the scent delivery system of
the present invention in a completely assembled state;
[0013] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional veiw of line 2-2 of FIG. 1;
[0014] FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective veiw of the scent delivery
system of the present invention; and
[0015] FIG. 4 is an exploded veiw of cartridge 100.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0016] Referring now to FIG. 1, the portable electronic scent
delivery system of the present invention is shown generally as
reference numeral 10. In this fully assembled state, the system has
a relatively compact, lightweight structure and approximates the
size of a small stereo system component. The major components of
the system are contained within a housing, including an upper
housing member 20, a lower housing member 30 and a front face plate
60. The front face plate 60 includes a plurality of electronic
switches 72 disposed therethrough for controlling power to the
unit, as well as various other electronic functions described in
more detail below. Generally, scents emitted from one or more
cartridges (not shown in FIG. 1) housed within the system are
directed outwardly through vents 65 in the faceplate 60 by a
blowing means (not shown in FIG. 1).
[0017] Referring now particularly to FIGS. 2 and 3, the major
components of the system will be described in more detail. Upper
housing member 20 includes a top side 22 joining opposite side
walls 24 and 26. Longitudinal support rails 25 depend inwardly from
the lower ends of side walls 24 and 26. Lower housing member 30
includes a base 32 having upwardly depending front and rear sides
34 and 36. Front side 34 has an opening 35 sized and shaped for
enabling front face plate 60 to be slidably received therethrough.
Rear side 36 has an opening 37 provided therethrough for enabling
air to be drawn into blower fan 86 attached to its inner surface.
Upper and lower housing portions, 20 and 30, are preferably joined
by conventional mechanical fasteners extending through aligned
apertures in rails 25 and base 32.
[0018] A tray support member, shown generally as reference numeral
40, includes a top side 42 joining opposite side walls 44 and 46. A
rear portion of top side 42 slopes upwardly to create an integral
baffle portion 48 for directing airflow from blower 86 toward face
plate vents 65. The lower ends of side walls 44 and 46 depend
inwardly to form lower tray support rails 45. Tray support rails 45
rest upon longitudinal support rails 25 of upper housing portion 20
and are fastened thereto by conventional mechanical fastening
means. The inner surfaces of side walls 44 and 46 further include
longitudinally extending upper tray guide rails 47. Preferably,
tray support member 40 has a unitary molded plastic
construction.
[0019] A tray member, shown generally as reference numeral 50,
includes a top side 52 and opposite side walls 54 and 56. Top side
52 has integral pockets 53 sized and shaped for snugly receiving
scent cartridges 100 therein. When fully assembled, tray member 50
is slidably received within tray supporting member 40. More
specifically, the lower edges of sides 54 and 56 slide along the
upper surfaces of tray support rails 45, and the upper surface of
top side 52 slidably engages upper tray guide rails 47. Sides walls
54 and 56 of tray member 50 are fastened to respective sides 64 and
66 of front face plate 60. Consequently, tray member 50 can be
slidably opened by manually pulling on handle member 70.
[0020] Heating subassemblies are provided for heating the bottoms
surfaces (not shown) of integral cartridge-receiving pockets 53.
Each heating subassembly includes a thermally conductive plate
member 78 interposed between a heating element 76 and the bottoms
surface of a cartridge-receiving pocket 53. The heating
subassemblies are maintained in place by mechanical retainers 80
and corresponding fasteners 81 attached directly to the bottom of
tray 50.
[0021] Main power to the system and the associated electronic
components is preferably provided using electricity supplied by a
standard 110 or 220 Volt AC power source through a conventional
electrical plug 84. A plurality of electrical switches 72 are
provided for controlling various functions of the system via
circuitry provided on a printed circuit board 74. Preferably, the
system includes switches for controlling main power to the unit, as
well as controlling blower speed and actuation of the heating
elements 76.
[0022] Referring now specifically to FIG. 4, each scent cartridge
100 includes a lower housing body 102 and an upper housing cap 124
separated by a sealing gasket member 109 interposed therebetween.
Lower housing body 102 includes an integral upwardly extending body
104 defining a channel 106. The lower housing body 102 and upper
housing cap 124 are preferably constructed from a high-melting
temperature polymer. Preferably, the housing is optically
transparent, enabling a system operator to periodically check the
cartridge oil levels for replacement.
[0023] A plastic molded T-shaped member, shown generally as
reference numeral 110, includes a base 114 having an integral body
112 depending downwardly therefrom and defining a spring-receiving
channel (not shown) therein. The outer surface of body 112 is sized
and shaped for enabling body 112 to be snugly received within
channel 106. Compression spring 108 is received at its upper end
within body 112 such that, when fully inserted within body 112, the
lower end of spring 108 extends beyond the lower end of body 112.
In this manner, when body 112 is received within channel 106, the
spring 108 acts to bias T-shaped member 110 in an upward direction.
Base 114 has a raised upper surface portion 116 defining a
peripheral base portion 118. Furthermore, raised surface portion
116 has a centrally positioned nub 119 protruding upwardly
therefrom.
[0024] Gasket member 120 is provided having a continuous groove 121
extending about its inner surface sized and shaped for being
sealingly fitted about peripheral base portion 118 of T-shaped
member 110. Upper housing cap 124 includes a plurality of window
apertures 126 and a centrally positioned aperture 128 sized and
shaped for receiving nub 119 therethrough. Lower housing body is
filled with a volume of scented oil (not shown), preferably having
a level below the upper end of body 104. When the cartridge is
fully assembled, the cartridge compression spring 108 biases the
T-member upwardly such that gasket 120 forms an air tight seal
again the inner surface of housing cap 124 exterior to the
apertures 126,128 provided therein. Furthermore, nub 119 preferably
extends at least partially through aperture 128.
[0025] Referring now to FIGS. 2-4, and primarily to FIG. 2, at
least one actuating mechanism, shown generally as reference numeral
90, is provided above each oil filled cartridge 100, for
selectively biasing cartridge nub 119 downwardly to break the seal
between upper surface 122 of gasket 120 and the inner surface of
housing cap 124. In the accompanying FIG. 2, a manual actuating
mechanism operating substantially similar to that of a conventional
ball point pen is shown. However, it will be apparent to those
skilled in the art that myriad different types of manual, as well
as automatic, actuating means could be employed.
[0026] The operation of the scent diffusing system of the present
invention will now be described in more detail. As best depicted in
FIGS. 1-3, the system includes a plurality of control buttons 72
for enabling a system user to perform a variety of functions,
including, but not limited to: (1) turning the system on and off;
(2) activating a particular heating element, thereby activating a
particular cartridge; and (3) controlling the speed of the blowing
mechanism 86. Although the accompanying drawing figures illustrate
a two-cartridge arrangement, the invention is not intended to be so
limited. As will be apparent to those skilled in the art, the
system of the present invention can be adapted to accommodate more
or less cartridges.
[0027] The heat generated by heating element 76 is transferred, via
thermally conducting plate member 78, through the bottom of tray
pocket 53, to cartridge body 102. The temperature of heating member
126 is increased to a predetermined temperature range sufficiently
high to cause the liquid scented oil to begin evaporating. At or
about the same time the scented oil begins to evaporate, mechanism
90 is actuated via button 92 to depress T-shaped cartridge member
110, via contact with nub 119. In this manner, the air tight seal
provided by gasket 120 is temporarily broken, enabling the scented
evaporate to escape the cartridge through apertures 126 in
cartridge cap 124. Blowing mechanism 86 provides an air flow over
the tops of the cartridges 100, directing the scented evaporate
through vents 65 in cover plate 60. Baffle members 48 and 82 aid in
concentrating the flow of air toward the aforementioned vents
65.
[0028] While the preferred embodiments of the invention have been
illustrated and described, it will be clear that the invention is
not so limited. Numerous modifications, changes, variations,
substitutions and equivalents will occur to those skilled in the
art without departing from the spirit and scope of the present
invention as described in the claims.
* * * * *